Another look at what scandal is and does.

From my POV.
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Many people now know about the arrest of Canadian Bishop Lahey on child pornography charges.
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Once hailed as a brave advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse, Mr. Lahey faces one count of possession and one count of importation of child pornography, after the discovery of images on his laptop computer at Ottawa's airport while he was returning from a foreign visit on Sept. 15.
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Mr. Lahey is well known in Nova Scotia as the bishop who did what no previous Catholic leader had done before: accept responsibility and apologize -- without any resort to litigation -- for the sex-abuse crimes of a former priest in his diocese.
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The victims of that abuse, dating back to the 1950s, are now eligible for compensation from a $15-million out-of-court settlement Lahey negotiated earlier this year.
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Mr. Lahey was in the midst of a difficult fundraising effort across his diocese to generate money for the settlement, when he was pulled aside by Canada Border Services agents for a random check of his laptop at Ottawa International." Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2055255#ixzz0Sn7PPfOg
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I think it possible, and I hope it is true, that this bishop is innocent of the charges and that the material on his laptop was simply part of his private investigation and research. In the meantime, I noticed on another blog that people in his diocese are talking about leaving the Church if these rumors prove to be true.
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Commenter's mean well when they say things like, "I will not leave because of some man's sin or bad example. If these people really knew their faith - they would not leave the Church." On one level that makes sense and I understand the goodwill behind that statement - nevertheless a bishop's fall from grace, if it be true, is huge. Bishops are our shepherds in the faith - they are our leaders and teachers in the faith. When they fall, or when a priest falls, it is a terrible scandal.
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The effects of scandal.
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Scandal leads to sin and many times, loss of faith. One's faith can be shaken even when one claims to know one's faith. The bishops and priests who scandalize the faithful by their sins and or apostasy, they too know their faith - just as well if not better than the people they lead. And yet - they betray the faith, fall into sin, and sometimes apostatize entirely.
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So we should never think we are safe from scandal because we know our faith. We shouldn't be too harsh about those who leave the Church because of scandal. Catholics have to understand that this is exactly what scandal does and means - to scandalize someone is to cause them to sin, to lose faith. If the accusations against Bishop Lahey are proven to be true, this bishop scandalized his people.
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We need to pray for the real victims - the people who are scandalized and the victims of the pornography industry. As for the Bishop, if the charges are true, unless he repents and makes amends it would have been better if he had never been born.
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St. Paul explains that our brothers and sisters in faith who are scandalized are weak - Christ refers to them as little ones - they have faith, but it is weak, and scandal can rob them of it.
"Extend a kind welcome to those who are weak in faith... we must no longer pass judgement on one another. Instead you should resolve to put no stumbling block or hindrance in your brother's way." - Romans 14. Knowledge of the faith is not a competition, someone who appears to be unaffected by a public sin because his faith is strong is not better than the believer whose faith is weak and suffers scandal. It is not the same thing as priding oneself upon scholastic achievement while disparaging the under-educated.
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Little children (simple, ordinary folk) do not have to understand the faith in order to believe. In truth, anyone can have the gift of faith taken away or destroyed by those who cause scandal. Especially when the ones who cause scandal are those who know the faith, who understand the faith - those who have ears to hear, eyes to see, and so on.
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People have to understand this and stop feeling sorry and making excuses for the bastards who take advantage of their positions to exploit the weak and give scandal to little ones. "Scandals will inevitably arise, but woe to him through whom they come. He would be better off thrown into the sea with a millstone around his neck than giving scandal to one of these little ones." - Luke 17
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Intellectual pride.
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Today we place so much emphasis on intellectual knowledge and knowing the answers to theological questions, that isn't a bad thing at all. That is why the Catholic Church has a catechism, and why those in positions of leadership and teaching are trained in theology. It is a good thing. Nevertheless, our knowledge and academic achievements often become for us a source of pride and self-assurance. Our knowledge will not save us - our faith will. Yes, we must nurture our faith with prayer, the sacraments, and study, and exercise it in good works - but we need to remember it is a gift and can be lost... Lost though it can be, one still retains all of that knowledge.
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Think of the people who left the Church who know our religion, our faith better than ourselves. I know a woman at a Catholic company who knew just about every Vatican document, understood dogma and knew her scriptures. She left the Church and returned to her old religion, Wicca. She still works at the same company because she is so knowledgeable about the faith and Catholic devotions.
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I know another woman who had been a novice with a well known religious order - a "good one" as people like to qualify them. Her spiritual director was a fine priest from a traditional order, well known for his sound theology and spirituality, a priest faithful to prayer - rising in the night for adoration - even when he was spending the night in the same bed with his little novice. They both knew their faith, and practiced the devotions to sustain it. Father had been helping sister through some sexual difficulties through his interpretation of JPII's theology of the body. Kind of scandalous huh? She is no longer a candidate for religious life and is having troubles with her faith.
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I once prided myself on believing so firmly and completely in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, my faith "fixed on Jesus" convinced me that my own faith could never be shaken. Until two religious superiors I greatly esteemed abandoned their vocations, one to found a new order, the other to pursue an academic career and "come out". I knew my faith. I had experienced many graces. My eyes were fixed upon Jesus. I couldn't admit it at the time, nevertheless I was deeply scandalized - my faith was shaken, and I fell away - for a couple of years. It is a miracle that I came back.
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I hope to never, ever again say things like - "How can they leave just because some man sinned or disappointed them - I know my faith, I understand my faith - I'm not going."
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Understand the faith - what does that mean anyway? Can anyone explain the Trinity? Transubstantiation? The Virgin Birth? The Immaculate Conception? Peter knew Christ was the Son of God, yet he denied him. Judas, who was anything but honest, betrayed him. They both knew their faith. A person could speculate that one man, Peter, had been scandalized and therefore fell away. While the other man, Judas, became a part, if not the source of scandal - thus it was better for him to have never been born.

The Little Flower

Many of us prefer the photographs of the Saint to most paintings of her, even this one painted by her talented sister Celine. But did you know that Celine modeled the expression we see here from that of how Therese looked immediately after death?
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"...In 1905, at the urgent request of the community I painted a picture of Therese as she appeared immediately after death. For a model, I used the photo taken in the infirmary on October 1. The sisters who had been her contemporary considered my portrait a perfect likeness of our Saint. It was this picture that was published in all the editions of Histoire d'une Ame, after 1906." - My Sister St. Therese
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A blessed feast day to all on this joyful feast of Little Therese.

The United States new image under Obama...

Iconic.

How the USCCB spends...

Why do we even have a USCCB?

Transitus of St. Therese.

Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face
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Little Therese died on September 30, 1897 at 7:20 in the evening, after a prolonged agony. I have been reading Sr. Genevieve of the Holy Face (Celine) book, My Sister, St. Therese for my novena in preparation for the saint's feast day tomorrow. Celine was a real artist - an accomplished painter, and I think I understand her temperament. Little Therese always told her, "You are too little... to understand... or to do this or that..." and so on. I get that.

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Once in the infirmary - just a few days ago (1897) in fact, Celine relates:

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I had been going to and fro in the Infirmary, and became upset because something had gone wrong. Therese called, "Bo-bonne, no interior anxiety if you please!" (September 3) I can almost hear her say that.

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Therese always knows when something is wrong.

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Her dying reminds me so much of the death of love Our Lord suffered... today she cries out:

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"Oh! It is pure suffering, because there is not a drop of consolation, no, not one."

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No, I would never have believed that it was possible to suffer so much... never, never. I can only explain it by my extreme desire to save souls." (September 30)

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Celine says, "She was trembling from head to foot..."

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At one point she told Celine, "Va, va, ma Celine, je serais avec tois..." "Go on with courage... I shall be with you."

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Finally, gazing on her crucifix, Little Therese cried out:

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"Oh!... Je L'aime!... Mon Dieu, je... vous... aime!" "Oh! ...I love Him! ...My God, I ...love ...you!"

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These were her last words.

"Vicious" - defined.

Main Entry: vi·cious
Pronunciation: \ˈvi-shəs\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French vicios, from Latin vitiosus full of faults, corrupt, from vitium vice
Date: 14th century
1 : having the nature or quality of vice or immorality : depraved
2 : defective, faulty; also : invalid
3 : impure, noxious
4 a : dangerously aggressive : savage
b : marked by violence or ferocity : fierce
5 : malicious, spiteful
6 : worsened by internal causes that reciprocally augment each other
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So there you have it, a word I too will use on occasion and frequently misspell - I always think there is an "s" in it. I will have to remember the etymolology: visios, vitiosus: vice.
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I used it in a post yesterday referring to homosexuals who attack the Church and manipulate Her teachings, scriptures, devotions, and liturgies to advance their agenda.

What writing does for me.

"Me too!" - said the Pope.

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In an interview with John Allen (NCR), the Holy Father replied to a question concerning the healing of his wrist, saying he was pleased to be able to write again, explaining: "My thinking develops above all through writing."

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That is exactly the same for me, it is the reason I write - and paint. My thinking develops above all through writing and painting - if not one, the other.

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The Holy Father is so humble.

Longest running apparition.

Nothing supernatural.

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So anyway. Fr. Ray has two very good posts on the Medjugorje evangelical revival serial. The comments on the post are also very good. I almost got fooled into believing in this one.

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Medjugorje #1
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Medjugorje #2

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Photo: Grownup seers of Medjugorje.

The Holy Father in Prague

His first stop while visiting the Czech Republic was at the Church of Our Lady of Victories to venerate the Infant Jesus and present the gift of a Papal Crown for the miraculous statue.

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Devotion to the Infant Jesus is not just for children.

So... Eminence, are you able to exercise the duties of your office?

"This is way beyond my field." Cardinal Mahoney
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The LA Cardinal was actually answering another question - but this works too.

Pandemic panic.

See, the thing about liars and conspiracy theorists and psychics and religious visionaries and the U.N. warning everyone that annhilation is just around the corner, is that I don't believe nuthin'.

So anyway - my parish church has taken out all the holy water fonts and replaced them with hand sanitizer pump bottles. I know! How proactive.

So much for In God we trust. (I hope they cut out the hand holding at the Our Father and the inappropriate touching at the sign of peace too.)

Last nite I had a dream that I was talking to Laura Bush and she told me, "Just be ready by March - that's when it's going to happen ."

I looked at my friend Darold and said - "See - even she knows!" Turning back to Laura I asked, "So what should we do?"

"Stock up on water and canned goods - and your prescriptions - you won't be able to get them after March." She said, smiling all the while. I didn't see George.

And wouldn't you know it, I forgot to ask March of what year.

Anyway - I watched a new series on television last night called "FlashForward" - which must have inspired my dream. I think the writers based the plot line on the warning and chastisement stuff from Garabandal. 3 days darkness stuff - yep - I got the candles.

I've always liked George and Laura (Bush).

Virgen de los Desamparados

One of my favorite titles of Our Lady...

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Our Lady of the Lunatics, Insane and Forsaken. Read about her here.

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September 24 is the feast of Our Lady of Ransom - I did not forget. The feast usually occurs between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - during the Jewish days of Awe.

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"During the Days of Awe, a Jew tries to amend his or her behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God (bein adam leMakom) and against other human beings (bein adam lechavero). The evening and day of Yom Kippur are set aside for public and private petitions and confessions of guilt (Vidui). At the end of Yom Kippur, one considers one's self absolved by God." - Source

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Please pray for this desamparado's conversion.

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“If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

May my right arm wither away!

May my tongue stick to the roof

of my mouth if I fail to remember

you....” (Psalms 137:5)

Calling out lies.

"Stop lying to one another." - Col 3, 9
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St. Paul makes that appeal more than once in his Letters. Today we experience great doubt in a culture which seems to subsist upon lies. Recently a politician disrupted the President's speech, calling him a liar; while in Europe, Pope Benedict is being accused of lying about what he knew concerning the Nazi sympathies of a bishop of the SSPX. That perhaps figures well with those who accuse the Pope of having been a Nazi because of some sort of mandatory involvement in Hitler Youth. (A fact, if memory serves me, an ill-informed Vatican spokesman mistakenly denied as well.)
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Of course we also have the situation of an Internet rife with accusations of lying and deceit by all types of persons and institutions - to the extent that one has to wonder if it is the lies that are so destructive to the common good, or the mistrust, uneasiness, and doubt they generate. Surely they go hand in hand in a corrupt society - the cause and the effect.
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We also have the experience in the U.S. of Catholic bishops dissimulating and covering up for deviant priests, and themselves at times, at great expense to the faithful - not simply monetarily, but morally and mortally as well. This is the result of scandal, and why good bishops and priests and Catholic laity must point such things out; clarifying Catholic teaching - the truth - as in the case of Archbishop Burke, offering solid catechesis regarding the Kennedy funeral discussion.
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Nevertheless, lying seems to be getting the better and best of us, and is all pervasive, which is why the exhortation from St. Paul is always relevant. We must stop lying to one another.
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Politically correct language, diplomatic language, legal terminology, philosophical and theological loopholes, and even socially polite niceties or exaggerations, contributes to an atmosphere of moral ambiguity - especially for the unsophisticated and under-educated. As St. Francis De Sales said, "plain dealing" is always best and is the responsibility and duty of the children of light.
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"Your language should be frank, sincere, candid, and honest. Be on guard against equivocation, ambiguity, or dissimulation. While it is not always advisable to say all that is true, it is never permissible to speak against the truth." - Introduction to the Devout Life, Part III: 30

Preserving architecture in a post-Christian society...

Unsettling.

Perhaps it is unfair to call our times post-Christian, churches have often been sold off and used for commercial purposes, we have examples of it locally - one I know of is a bookstore. Years ago one of my favorite discos in NYC was an old church called The Sanctuary - it was even used in a film for a location shoot - the movie: Klute.
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It is rather unsettling however to come across photos of the Dominican church (above), nicely converted into a fashionable bookstore. The location is Maastricht, Netherlands, and so it is no surprise perhaps. It will most likely be a common occurrence throughout Europe as the faith continues to dwindle. There are more photos on the architect's site here. It really is a very handsome conversion, wonderful use of space without obstructing the lovely art and architecture.
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If I were rich I'd love to buy an old abandoned church in France or Tuscany.


H/T Catholic Church Conservation

September Issue

If you have ever worked in fashion, marketing or ready to wear, you must see "September Issue" - the best documentary on the business ever.

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The movie is fascinating. There are moments however where the vacuousness of the industry and the persons who work in it emerges. In quiet moments the principals seem to convey a bored disappointment, even sadness... and that is when one can experience a feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness. I think that may in part account for why fashion changes so rapidly and always tends forward to what is novel and glamorous - it removes one from one's reality and spiritual self knowledge. Of course, profit is a driving factor as well. But the everchanging, always in flux creative atmosphere is what generally attracts the superficial.

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In the film, the only moments Anna Wintour betrays any authenticity as an actual person is when she is in the company of her daughter - otherwise she seems a rather soulless creature exercising power over equally soulless individuals in a strange antechamber to... nothing.

'The September Issue' Trailer HD

Must see. The best.

Followers

I have a Followers box, widget, whatever, in my side bar that doesn't show up now. Does it show up for visitors here? If so, it may be my security settings are blocking it. I can't be bothered with this stuff - but I hate it when stuff doesn't work.

Oh! Oh! What if the CIA blocked it?!

Saints

I came across one of the most extraordinary posts I have ever read, concerning the Orthodox Hieromonk Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi, his photo in death shown above. Elena of Fountain of Elias blog has posted the Elder's teaching on prayer. Go here to read. After reading it, I was filled with a blessed peace.

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Incidentally, the novena for the feast of St. Therese has begun. And of course, today is the feast of St. Pio.

Victims of racism...

Blind leading the blind.
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I kinda feel sorry for Governor Paterson now.

End of summer.

Portion of the back garden.

The red morning glory on the trellis attracts Hummingbirds - which seem to me to be like little angels or fairies as they dart about, often hovering in mid-air to get a closer look at me.

Bishop Talk...

The USCCB on proselytism...
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Proselytism, or the deliberate targeting of another Christian or group of Christians for the sole purpose of getting them to reject their church to join another, is not allowed. Some people may feel called in conscience to change from one tradition to another, but “sheep stealing” is unacceptable. USCCB
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The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith does not equate proselytism with “sheep stealing,” but with coercion. In its 2007 Doctrinal Note on Some Aspects of Evangelization, the Congregation teaches:
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The term proselytism originated in the context of Judaism, in which the term proselyte referred to someone who, coming from the gentiles, had passed into the Chosen People. So too, in the Christian context, the term proselytism was often used as a synonym for missionary activity. More recently, however, the term has taken on a negative connotation, to mean the promotion of a religion by using means, and for motives, contrary to the spirit of the Gospel; that is, which do not safeguard the freedom and dignity of the human person. It is in this sense that the term proselytism is understood in the context of the ecumenical movement. - Catholic Culture

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H/T Pewsitters

What's my line? Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

"What's My Line?" - Catholicism as a game show.

Stop-it!

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I don't get it. This morning at Inside Catholic I noted Archbishop Burke had remarked upon funerals for pro-abortion Catholics:
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"Neither Holy Communion nor funeral rites should be administered to such politicians," said Archbishop Burke. "To deny these is not a judgment of the soul, but a recognition of the scandal and its effects." - Source
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So far so good - for him - and maybe a few of us. Archbishop Burke is a gem of a Catholic prelate - but does anyone listen to him? A couple of Cardinals just buried a pro-abortion politician in a very public Catholic funeral, while other bishops and priests condemned those who dared criticize it as uncharitable, hate filled, misguided Catholics.
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I'm not going to waste time this morning listing the litany of questionable Cardinals and Bishops here, but damn! Where is the consistency in Catholic teaching? Is it now just fine to live however one desires, accepting or rejecting Catholic teaching while professing to be a Catholic and yet maintain "good hope" that everyone is saved? (This was even intimated on last evening's Sunday Night Live with Fr. Benedict Groeschl, CFR on EWTN.)

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III. INDIFFERENTISM, LATITUDINARIANISM
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15. Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true. -- Allocution "Maxima quidem," June 9, 1862; Damnatio "Multiplices inter," June 10, 1851.
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16. Man may, in the observance of any religion whatever, find the way of eternal salvation, and arrive at eternal salvation. -- Encyclical "Qui pluribus," Nov. 9, 1846.
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17. Good hope at least is to be entertained of the eternal salvation of all those who are not at all in the true Church of Christ. -- Encyclical "Quanto conficiamur," Aug. 10, 1863, etc.
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18. Protestantism is nothing more than another form of the same true Christian religion, in which form it is given to please God equally as in the Catholic Church. -- Encyclical "Noscitis," Dec. 8, 1849. - Syllabus of Errors Condemned by Blessed Pius IX
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We live in an age when heresy, apostasy and compromise has infected the Church close to the top - it almost seems all that is left to be accomplished is for the abomination of desolation to take it's place in the sanctuary.

Congratulations Christopher West!

Cardinal Rigali approves.
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Cardinal Justin Rigali, as Chairman of the Episcopal Advisory Board for the Theology of the Body Institute and as local ordinary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia where the Institute is located, and Bishop Kevin Rhoades, Christopher West's local ordinary in the Diocese of Harrisburg, have stated that they are pleased to express strong support for the important work of the Theology of the Body Institute and, in particular, that of Christopher West. - Source
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Excuse me while I whip this out.
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I really cannot print what I think of this. However, it must be remembered that many bishops and cardinals also hoped that discipline might change concerning the regulation of birth before Humane Vitae was issued. While afterwards, several continued to object - and reject. This isn't the same thing of course, but it certainly helps one appreciate the effectiveness of such a general imprimatur.
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Wait, watch, and see what happens... It will make headlines.
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That's all.

Attention Monastery cooks!

This is very cool - great for celebrating feasts of martyrs such as St. Januarius!

1930s Futuristic Fashion Predictions

For Susan and Cathy and Angela and Adrienne... oh, and Bob.

St. Januarius

Guys really like the martyrs - the bloodier the better. 19 September is the feast day of St. Januarius.

I don't get it...

- the look I mean.

Obama the sell out?

WARSAW, Poland – Poles and Czechs voiced deep concern Friday at President Barack Obama's decision to scrap a Bush-era missile defense shield planned for their countries.

"Betrayal! The U.S. sold us to Russia and stabbed us in the back," the Polish tabloid Fakt declared on its front page. - More here.
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Anyone know what happened in September of 1939 in Poland?

The secret decoded

Click here to read the narrative.

The Reluctant Saint The Life of St. Joseph of Cupertino Part 5

My Santo!

The Secret is out.

Click here.

The Sacred Stigmata

Penance
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Today is a feast of St. Francis of Assisi, since on this day he received the sacred stigmata, or the wounds of Christ crucified, in his own flesh.
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The Third Order of St. Francis was founded for those who wished to follow the spiritual discipline of the Friars Minor while remaining in their particular station in life. As we know, observing the duties of one's state in life is sometimes the greatest penance of all. For example, the single person must remain chaste while earning his own keep or possibly caring for an aged parent or friend. The married person must remain faithful no matter what - not abandoning his spouse, earning a living, raising a family, and so on. All Christians first duty is to God of course, keeping the commandments, assisting at Mass, constancy in prayer, fidelity to the laws, discipline and teachings of the Church, etc.. All these ordinary things comprise the duties of one's state in life - they are little things, but the means of sanctification.
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The Brothers and Sisters of Penance, as the first secular Franciscans were called, undertook much more however. They added more daily prayers and special fasts and abstinence to their lives. They dressed more modestly and poorly, lived more frugally with out luxury and unnecessary convenience, and either gave alms or served the very poor as best they could, according to their means and abilities. Their life took on the character of the religious they so admired, and the poor they served. The very poor and illiterate did likewise, often increasing corporal penance and prayer to a heroic degree.
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I'm amongst those of us who have lost the sense of penance, or the idea that one is morally obliged to be faithful to what is routine and mundane in one's responsibilities. For instance, when I got tired or bored with my job, I would stay home and use a sick day - a lot! When I got really bored, I quit that particular job. Even now, when I don't feel like painting, I don't. If I'm too tired for daily Mass, I stay in bed. If I don't want to clean the house, I don't. If I want a beer, I have one. If I want steak, I eat one. If my computer goes down, I get mad and complain. If my life isn't comfortable, I do what I can to make it so.
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So the feast of the Sacred Stigmata reminds me of the penance I owe for the many sins of selfish self-indulgence I continue to commit, wallowing in my sloth, while criticising priests and religious and other good people whom I envy and I'm jealous of because they are better Catholics than I am.
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Art: "St. Francis carried dying to St. Mary of the Angels offering a last blessing to Assisi." Leon Benouville

What 'fashion' is, and what it is not...

I just received and watched the DVD "Valentino - The Last Emperor" - it is a fantastic view into the world of haute couture - which, as Amanda Priestly** would tell you, has a great impact upon what the ordinary woman buys on sale at Marshall's. That said, what goes into a piece of apparel - from the original design, to construction, to finished masterpiece is amazing. It is not only art and architecture, but an enormous industry which employs countless people. I highly recommend the documentary. (If you have ever worked in any segment of the business, you will definitely appreciate the film.)

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What I can't recommend as fashion or design is something naively referred to as Pure Fashion. The concept is laudable - the product, the shows, the marketing - not so much. There is no fashion whatsoever in anything I have ever seen regarding this effort. Jeans, skirts and t-shirts - ordinary-every-day-wear is not fashion. Tips On How To Dress Modestly is a better descriptive than misappropriating the appellative "fashion" to this "stuff".

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** [To Andrea] "This... stuff? Oh... okay. I see, you think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select out — oh, I don't know — that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not lapis, it's actually cerulean. You're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002 Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves St. Laurent, wasn't it, who showed cerulean military jackets? (I think we need a jacket here). And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of stuff." - Wikiquotes

"The Secret" unveiled...

Detail of my painting, "The Secret of Fatima"...
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Remember, this is all most people really knew about the so-called third secret until the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco Marto on May 13, 2000... And yet there were quite a few variations of the contents of the envelope floating about the world before that.

Very funny.

I'll be at adoration this afternoon.

The Pope speaks...

This is it!

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This is my point exactly, but I have not been able to articulate it. The Holy Father said it well in this morning's allocution concerning St. Symeon the New Theologian:

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In the nine volumes of his works, Symeon “insisted that true knowledge of God comes not from books but from the spiritual life, born of a journey of inner purification that begins with conversion,” the Pope summarized. The New Theologian "calls us all to the spiritual life, the hidden presence of God in us, to the purification of conscience, so the Holy Spirit becomes present in us and guides us." - CNA

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Yes, yes, YES! The 'purification of conscience', which at times can be a great suffering... an arduous 'journey' which only 'begins with conversion'.

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"More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy." —Jeremiah 17:9

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Deep calling unto deep...

Yesterday

I finished "The Secret" Sunday afternoon, 13 September, the 92nd anniversary of the 5th apparition at Fatima.
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I have never worked so long and hard on a painting and come away so disappointed with it. I did some detail work and glazes today, and signed it, but I have to let it go for awhile. I don't know what to do with it. I decided it should be titled "Fatima, The Secret" - otherwise people may not get it. I'm too embarrassed to show it right now - maybe later...
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It was beyond my ability - that is all I can say about it.
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For the past few months I have been immersed in the message and accounts of the apparitions at Fatima. I have read and reread every detail it seems to me. I have prayed many rosaries, and will continue to do so. Did you know Our Lady asked for more than prayer for the conversion of sinners? She asked for sacrifices - sacrifices. Imagine. Our Lord explained penance as the fulfillment of the duties of one's state in life. Imagine.
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Did you know Our Lady predicted WWII but never said anything about concentration camps and the holocaust? Of all the horrors of the 20th century, the war and immorality, Our Lady chose to remind us of the existence of God, that he is gravely offended by sin, and that the souls of sinners end up in hell, "because there is no one to pray and make sacrifices for them."
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Stunningly, after the 3rd part of the secret was revealed, people were disappointed - they claimed it was not revealed in it's entirety because nothing apocalyptic had been revealed, errant bishops weren't condemned, the Vatican Council wasn't anathematized, and so on.
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The Blessed Virgin did not come to tell fortunes - she came to urge the faithful to return to God, to be converted, to pray and make sacrifices for sinners. She came to make us understand that God exists - that hell is real, that Satan exists, and the souls of unrepentant sinners go to hell. She came to announce that her Immaculate Heart would be the way that leads us to God - that the peace of the world was in her hands.
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The secret and the October miracle at Fatima were of such significance for our times, not unlike the great prodigies of the Bible, that to be ignored and shuffled off to the archives of history must be a great offence to God. To say that "Fatima is over! It is this or that revelation or apparition that is important now" must be a great insult to Divine Providence and the most sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary.
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If nothing else, working on the painting caused me to understand anew that the message of Fatima is more relevant today than ever.

I pulled the girls out of school...

I wasn't about to allow them to be brainwashed by Obama's speech.
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ROFLMAO!
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I was offline for the hysteria...

This is how bad I am.

Entrance antiphon.
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I turned on EWTN yesterday afternoon and there was a televised Mass for the dedication of a statue of Mother Teresa of Calcutta at the National Shrine in Washington, D.C..

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I couldn't stand the singing, the processional, the choir robes, the Missionary of Charity entering the sanctuary for the reading, or the bishop smiling his way down the aisle, or his vestments, or anything else about it. But it was the singing that really annoyed me the most.

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I turned it off.

"I'm every woman"

Kidding - I mean, every sinner.

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I used the Chaka Kahn song title because of a meditation I've been pondering this past week. Last Sunday or Monday I decided to read the Gospel as if all the sinners, cripples and other outcasts that Jesus either encountered or spoke about in his parables, were actually me. The idea, "I'm every sinner" originated one morning at prayer, which led to my search for Gospel stories to see where I fit in. It remains a good spiritual exercise.

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Anyway. That is why I've been offline for so many days. I had nothing to write about... I have this huge log in my eye which makes it difficult to even see the keyboard... so I kinda lost interest.

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Oh. I've been busy painting as well.

More favorite endings...

Labor Day signals the end of summer in these parts. I love good endings - and I don't always mean the happily ever after endings either. Some endings are sad. Other endings are really beginnings... although we never find out how it ends.

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From Klute:

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Bree Daniels: "I have no idea what's going to happen. (Pause.) I just can't stay in the city, you know? (Pause.) Maybe I'll come back... (Long pause.) You'll probably see me next week."

The Wrestler - Official Trailer

I love this film.

Something about the duties of bishops...

The Holy Father on St. Gregory the Great:
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"Taking up a favorite theme, he (Gregory the Great) affirms that the Bishop is, above all, the 'preacher' par excellence: As such, he must first be an example for others, so that his behavior may constitute a point of reference for everyone.
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Effective pastoral action also requires that the bishop knows who it is addressed to and adapt his interventions to every particular situation. Gregory takes time to illustrate the various categories of the faithful with acute and timely observations, which could well justify those who also see this work as a treatise on psychology. One thus understands that he truly knew his flock and that he spoke about everything with the people of his time and of his city.
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The great Pontiff, nonetheless, insists on the Pastor's duty to recognize daily his own poverty, so that pride may not render in vain, in the eyes of the Supreme Judge, the good that he has done.
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Thus, the final chapter of the Rule is dedicated to humility: "When one is pleased at having achieved many virtues, it is good to reflect on one's insufficiencies and be humble: instead of considering the good one has achieved, one must consider that which one failed to achieve." - Benedict XVI on The Pastoral Rule by Gregory the Great, Wednesday Audience 6/4/08

Are there bishops in heaven?

"Dad, are there bishops in heaven?"

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"We hope so honey, but we only know for sure that those who have been canonized are there - that is why we have to pray so hard for them."
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"Oh! Oh! Dad! Are there bishops in hell then?"

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"Hon, again, nobody knows for sure, but from the sounds of it, quite a few bishops don't think anyone is there at all."

Stepping back...

Thom of Ad Dominum blog alerted me to Bishop Morlino's take on the Kennedy funeral. The following are excerpts from what the Bishop of Madison wrote for his Bishop's Column in the Diocesan paper.
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I’m afraid that for not a few Catholics, the funeral rites for Senator Kennedy were a source of scandal — that is, quite literally, led them into sin. From not a few corners has come the question, “how on earth could Teddy Kennedy be buried from the Church?” There have also been expressions from some, that “whatever happens in Church, Senator Kennedy will now face justice, which will lead him inside the gates of Hell.”
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The death of Senator Kennedy has called forth at least an apparent rejection of mercy on the part of not a few Catholics. On the cross of Christ, God’s justice came into conflict with God’s mercy. God’s justice was fully satisfied, but mercy triumphed in the conflict, according to the teaching of Pope Benedict. Without denying any misdeeds on the part of Senator Kennedy, the Church, seeking to reflect the face of Christ, proclaimed God’s mercy for the whole world to see in a subdued but unmistakable way. It was more than appropriate.
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It is so important at this time that our Catholic homes and families re-emphasize their role as schools of mercy, not at the expense of justice, and not at the expense of Truth, but recognizing that Jesus Christ gave His body to be broken and His blood to be poured out, so that there might be mercy. This is the reason for our devotion, through the inspiration of Sister Faustina and its confirmation by Pope John Paul II, to the Divine Mercy prayers, which I hope are becoming more prominent and more frequently practiced in our homes and in our parishes. - Read the entire statement here: Bishop's Column

Perseverance

The Little Brothers of St. Francis of Boston
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Last evening I watched a YouTube video on their life which contains an excellent interview with Br. James, the founder of the community, unfortunately embedding has been disabled, so I will link to it here - watch it if you can.
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The brothers gave me shelter as I began my pilgrimage from the Trappists to Europe many years ago. At the time, the community had already been established for a few years and if I remember correctly there were 3 friars in addition to Br. James. Their religious life is virtually unchanged since then. The brothers live a contemplative life within their hermitage in Boston's Roxbury/Mission Hill district. They also minister to the poor and homeless who live on the street or in shelters in Boston. Their ministry is one of prayer and presence. They do not house the poor, they simply live amongst them and befriend them. Their focus is Eucharistic adoration. In this they resemble the followers of Blessed Charles de Foucauld.
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O Lord, my God, who will seek you with simple and pure love, and not find that you are all one can desire, for you show yourself first and go out to meet those who seek you? - John of the Cross
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Yet more expressly, the Brothers communal life is more reminiscent of the earliest companions of St. Francis, and I think this is what Br. James envisioned from the very beginning. It is so simple that the efficacy is often missed by those of us who expect great works and deeds - often in terms of social work - bettering the conditions of the poor, treating the alcoholism and drug addictions of the homeless, establishing listening houses and soup kitchens for the hungry. But there are facilities in Boston for all of that.
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Think not that pleasing God lies so much in doing a great deal as in doing it with good will, without possessiveness and human respect. - John of the Cross
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The Brothers instead go directly to the street. They just show up. Some have called it "house calls to the homeless". A guy might be sleeping under a cardboard box and look up, and in his hangover haze he sees two followers of St. Francis the fool, smiling back saying, "Good morning brother!" And they visit, they listen, they may get him some coffee, offer him a sandwich, if it is winter give him gloves, a hat, and so on. They may even pray with him. But they really are just there. In their simplicity, they acknowledge the sacred humanity before them, hidden beneath the dirt, ofttimes enveloped by a noxious alcohol-tobacco laden stench, incensed with the scent of urine and other foul body odors. They are present to one another in the Divine Presence, sharing an equal identity before the Lord. Deep calling unto deep, in the roar of the city.
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And if only for a few minutes or an hour, the poor man on the street knows what it means to have someone look at him and accept him and love him, just as he is - and the brothers feed him, nurse him with the love of God. What is more, the brothers do not abandon him there, but take him with them spiritually in prayer, placing him before Jesus in the Eucharist.
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God is more pleased by one work, however small, done secretly, without desire that it be known, than a thousand done with the desire that people know of them. Those who work for God with purest love not only care nothing about whether others see their works, but do not even seek that God himself know of them. Such persons would not cease to render God the same services, with the same joy and purity of love, even if God were never to know of these. - John of the Cross
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Br. Jim had an important position with the Boston Opera when he left everything to live the Franciscan call, which led to the establishment of this community. The Community follows the Rule for Hermitages, written by St. Francis. You can read about the community here. The life is so simple and so delightfully Franciscan, I think one must be very, very humble to live it - much like the founder - St. Francis, and of course, Br. Jim.
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O sweetest love of God, so little known, whoever has found this rich mine is at rest! - John of the Cross
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Photo credit: Maureen Cotton

He's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!!

Secundus!

H1N1 Sweater for Dad

080 Fashion Barcelona.
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080 Barcelona Fashion first came about in July 2007. Its aim is to provide a platform to increase the visibility of independent designers and to become a point of reference for cutting-edge design and fashion on an international level. The driving forces behind 080 Barcelona Fashion are creativity and innovation, without forgetting the importance of the market and the need to provide a commercial outlet for fashion.

Prayerbook for Spouses

For Theology of the Body buffs...
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Catholic Truth Society of London has published a new prayerbook for Catholic spouses, including a prayer before making love - no blessing of the genitals however - Christopher West can supply that, I'm sure.
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The new prayer:
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Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts.
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Place within us love that truly gives, tenderness thattruly unites,
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self-offering that tells the truth and does not deceive,
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forgiveness that truly receives, loving physical union that welcomes.
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Open our hearts to you, to each other and to the goodness of your will.
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Cover our poverty in the richness of your mercy and forgiveness.
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Clothe us in our true dignity
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and take to yourself our shared aspirations, for your glory, for ever and ever.
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Mary, our Mother, intercede for us. Amen. - Source
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An older model of spousal prayer:
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Then Tobias exhorted the virgin, and said to her: Sara, arise, and let us pray to God to day, and to morrow, and the next day: because for these three nights we are joined to God: and when the third night is over, we will be in our own wedlock. 5 For we are the children of saints, and we must not be joined together like heathens that know not God.
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6 So they both arose, and prayed earnestly both together that health might be given them, 7 And Tobias said:
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Lord God of our fathers, may the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains, and the rivers, and all thy creatures that are in them, bless thee.
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8 Thou madest Adam of the slime of the earth, and gavest him Eve for a helper.
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9 And now, Lord, thou knowest, that not for fleshly lust do I take my sister to wife, but only for the love of posterity, in which thy name may be blessed for ever and ever.
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10 Sara also said:
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Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us,
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and let us grow old both together in health. - Tobit 8
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I think the biblical version contains better theology.

He warned against “harsh judgments’’ and attributing “the worst motives’’...

"Do not yoke yourselves in a mismatch with unbelievers. After all, what does righteousness and lawlessness have in common, or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What accord is there between Christ and Belial, what common lot between believer and unbeliever? Tell me what agreement there is between the temple of God and idols?" - 2 Corinthians 6: 14-16

Photo of the day

Hindu priests sit inside barrels containing water as they perform special prayers in order to appease Varun, the Hindu rain god, in a temple in Mumbai. - Telegraph.co.uk


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I KNOW!

Priests

What men need.
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Priests do not so much need spiritual mothers, as they all have the perfect Mother in Our Lady Mary, Mother of Christ, Queen of the Clergy. While a devotion consisting of spiritual motherhood for priests may be efficacious, what priests most need are strong, manly fathers and brothers; most especially they need solid, strong, supportive, manly Bishops. (And the prayers of the faithful of course.)

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Normally, one mother is more than enough for a guy - just ask St. Augustine. ;)

Good bye good men redux.

The resignation of Bishop Martino.
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As expected, Scranton Bishop Joseph Martino, 63, announced his resignation today, citing health concerns, specifically fatigue and insomnia due in part to the pressures of his pastoral assignment as the reason. The resignation was accepted by the Holy Father in accord with Canon Law.
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"For some time now, there has not been a clear consensus among the clergy and people of the Diocese of Scranton regarding my pastoral initiatives or my way of governance," Martino said. "This development has caused me great sorrow, resulting in bouts of insomnia and at times a crippling physical fatigue." - Source

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The Bishop's resignation and announcement seems to me to be rather extraordinary. Reports describe him as autocratic and a hardliner, while suggesting he lacked support not only from the more liberal elements within his jurisdiction, but from his fellow bishops as well. At the same time, it appears he may not have always supported the USCCB either - does that mean he was not in line with the bishops or simply refused to toe the party line as far as politically correct policy statements and diplomacy?

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"We don't want to isolate ourselves from the rest of America by our strong views on abortion".
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All of this comes on the heels of Santa Fe's Archbishop Sheehan's sharp criticism of outspoken bishops in civic life while advocating for a more collaborative arrangement with the culture of death.
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"The bishops don't want to have a battle in public with each other, but I think the majority of bishops in the country didn't join in with that, would not be in agreement with that approach. It's well intentioned, but we don't lose our dignity by being strong in the belief that we have but also talking to others that don't have our belief. We don't lose our dignity by that," he said
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Sheehan told NCR that at a meeting of the bishops last June he said that " to make a big scene about Obama -- I think a lot of the enemies of the church are delighted to see all that. And I said that I think we don't want to isolate ourselves from the rest of America by our strong views on abortion and the other things. We need to be building bridges, not burning them. We'd be like the Amish, you know, kind of isolated from society, if we kept pulling back because of a single issue." - Source

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"This development has caused me great sorrow..."
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It will be interesting to see what others have to say about all of this. I think it is obvious that in many cases priests who are chosen to be bishops tend to be the more pastoral type - Vatican II-speak for permissive and tolerant. Evidently, tough guys do not do well.
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During his farewell press conference, Martino was unapologetic. "I did what my mother told me to do," Martino said, "She would always say, 'Well, you do the right thing.' And my conscience is clear." He said he wasn't trying to become a rallying point for the most vociferous foes of abortion, but he then defended them, saying they are often dismissed too readily by the media and even within the church because of their "passion."
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He praised vocal pro-lifers as "very dear to the Lord" because of their outspokenness, and said "bishops should encourage them" as they try to "overturn a profound cancer in our society, this sin, frankly, of murdering 50 million people (referring to the number of abortions since Roe v. Wade in 1973). I think we have become quite blasé about that, and that scares me very much." - Source
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Personally, I don't get it - I should think strong men ought to be made bishops - not collaborators with evil and the effeminate.

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Priests do not need so much spiritual mothers as they do strong father bishops.

Scandal

Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it...

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2284 Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.

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2285 Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized. It prompted our Lord to utter this curse: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."86 Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others. Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to wolves in sheep's clothing.87

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2286 Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.
Therefore, they are guilty of scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice, or to "social conditions that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and obedience to the Commandments difficult and practically impossible."88 This is also true of business leaders who make rules encouraging fraud, teachers who provoke their children to anger,89 or manipulators of public opinion who turn it away from moral values.

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2287 Anyone who uses the power at his disposal in such a way that it leads others to do wrong becomes guilty of scandal and responsible for the evil that he has directly or indirectly encouraged. "Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come!"90 - Catechism of the Catholic Church

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Photo: Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis kneeling before Richard Cardinal Cushing of Boston - nothing scandalous there. Photo from Hallowed Ground.

Worth noting.

The following post was sent to me a day or so ago by my very wise friend Paula.

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On flattering and supporting one's enemies

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"Formerly I went frequently to Paris: I saw often many of those who were called ‘the philosophers’. It was particularly at Madame Geoffrin’s, Baron d’Holbaek’s, and d’Alembert’s, where they principally assembled. It was there that they silently planned the destruction of religion, of the clergy, the nobility, and the government. From the year 1766, I said to the Bishops who were connected with them, ‘They detest you’; to the great noblemen who protected them, ‘They cannot bear the splendour of your rank, which dazzles them’; to the Farmers-General who upheld them, ‘They envy your riches’. These continued, however, to admire, to flatter, and to support them.” - The Frenchman Louis Dutens, 1806; on France before the Revolution

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To view one's mortal enemies as harmless and misguided pontificators is one of the many perils of life.

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There is a type of magnanimous patron who seeks out his philosophical opposite. He thinks the iconoclast will remain a fringe character, like a unique exotic pet.

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In many cases, this is excusable. How many coffee shop communists never take action?

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Yet to love one's enemies truly, one must acknowledge the extent of their ill will.

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Then one must recognize that indifference towards their increasing power and influence is no act of love, for them or for one's own. - Philokalia Republic

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Art: Salon de Madame Geoffrin

I just figured out what this is.

o{]:-)

Sunday morning reflections...

The Scribes and Pharisees.

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Somehow in grade school, a few of us rebels got the idea that the nuns were the scribes and pharisees of modern times - they widened their phylacteries (veils and habits), sat up in the front row for Mass, and laid impossible burdens upon 7th and 8th graders. That notion stuck with many Catholics into adulthood to include the hierarchy, traditional priests and religious as the new scribes and pharisees. Therefore it turned out to be the institutional Church who places impossible burdens upon the more enlightened 21st century Catholic; forbidding divorce, contraception, abortion, gay marriage, and all the other emergent civil rights contemporary culture demands.

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But I think that is grossly misleading, a great deception. The scribes and pharisees and teachers of the Law Christ calls out were laymen. Not unlike the college professors and theologians of today. Of course some of these are priests and religious as well, yet in the context of academia, their most valued credentials happen to be based upon the level and number of their academic degrees, publications, tenure and so on.

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Think about it. Think about all the so-called Catholic dissident theologians and professors, along with the politicians and social activists who are influenced by them and rely upon their teachings. Many of these may fit the profile of the ancient scribes and pharisees more accurately than the hierarchy. In our day they happen to be the ones who teach as doctrine human precepts, disregarding God's commandments, clinging to human tradition, based upon exciting new, albeit dubious, research, studies, scientific developments, and novel legislation protecting civil rights.

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Of course any of us can fit that profile, which is why Christ warned his disciples to beware the leaven of the scribes and pharisees.